Craft with automatic stabilizer



A. T. VANCE.

CRAFT WITH AUTOMATIC STABILIZER.

APFLECATION FILED MAY 21. 1918.

1,350,579, Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I 71062112 07 jig 1 Tl lzrzcev,

A. T. VANCE.

CRAFT WITH AUTOMATIC STABILIZER.

.APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1918.

1,350,579, PatenaedAug. 24., 192i) 2 SHEET$SHEET 2. -55 28 38 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE.

ARLYN T. VANCE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFQRNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO F. J.

. ABBOTT, JR.., OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CRAFT WITH AUTOMATIC STABILIZER.

Application filed May 21, 1918.

To all whom it may cancer-n Be it known that I, ARLYN T. VANCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Craft with Automatic Stabilizers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatically stabilized craft and is applicable to air-craft and to water-craft such as submarines.

An object of the invention is to produce an automatically stabilized craft of comparatively simple construction and one in which the stabilizing features are reliable in operation so that the craft will move in a horizontal flying plane or return to such plane without the attention of the pilot.

Another object is to insure flight of the air-craft in a horizontal plane and to return the air-craft to flight in a horizontal plane when for any reason it is deflected therefrom,for instance, when the deflection is due to alteration in the air currents.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention embodied in an air-craft of the aeroplane type, portions thereof being in vertical midsection.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical midsection of the stabilizing device on line m :v Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the stabilizing device on line 00 w Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail ofthe control operating stick or lever and its parts.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental perspective view of the upper portion of one of the wells and its float and the connections to the float.

The invention is shown as being embodied in an air-craft, indicated in general by the character 1, but it is understood that it may be embodied in a submarine craft as well. In the drawings the 'nacelle or body of the air-craft is indicated at 2, and, as is usual in aeroplanes, there is mounted in the nacelle 2 a control operating member which in this instance is in the form of the well known stick or lever 8 which is pivoted at 1 to swing forward and backward upon a shaft 5 that is supported by standards 6. The shaft 5 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Serial No. 235,845.

enables the stick to be swung laterally as is well understood. Fastened to the stick 3 and extending rearward therefrom are controlling connections or cables which may be in the form of wires 7, 7 and which are connected to a stabilizing surface that may be in the form of the well known elevator indicated at 8. Forward movement of the upper end of the stick 3 lowers the elevator in the usual manner so as to point the nose of the air-craft downward, and pulling the upper end of the stick 3 rearward raises the elevator so as to cause the nose of the machine to be pointed upward.

The stick 8 is connected by connections or cables in the form of wires 9, 10 to stab ilizing surfaces that may be in the form of the well known starboard and port ailerons 11, 12 respectively for transverse control of the air-craft. By the term aileron is meant any movable surface for effecting lateral control of the aeroplane and it is understood that this term also includes the warping surfaces of the wings of those aeroplanes depending on wing warping for lateral control. The ailerons are connected together by a connection or cable in the form of a wire 13. In the drawings the ailerons are so connected with the stick 3 that when the upper end of the stick 3 is moved to the right it pulls down on the port aileron 12 and up on the starboard aileron 11 and when moved to the left pulls down on the starboard aileron and up on the port aileron so as to bank on the port and starboard sides respectively. The connections may be otherwise made if desired. The ailerons 11, 12 in the instance shown in the drawings are hinged at 14 in the customary way to the supporting plane which is indicated at 15.

Means are provided for automatically moving the upper end of the stick 3 to the port or starboard according as the port and starboard sides. respectively, of the machine rise, and to automatically shift the upper end of the stick 3 forward or backward according as the nose or tail of the air-craft rises, and such means will now be described. Suitably connected with and supported by the nacelle 2 are vessels 16, 17 adapted to contain an operating fluid 18, such, for example, as water. If desired oil or any other suitable fluid may be used in place of the water. In the instance shown in the drawings, the vessels 16, 17 are in the form of tubes and are connected in the form of a cross, the vessel 16 being arranged longitudinally of the axis'of the nacelle 2 and the vessel 17 being arranged transversely to said axis. The ends of the vessel 16 areupturned at 19, 20 to form fore and aft wells; and the ends of the vessel 17 are upturned at 21, 22 to form port and starboard wells.

The wells .19, 20, 21 and 22 are preferably closed at their'upper ends, and a tube 23 Connects the wells 19, 20 to one another, and a tube 24: connects the wells 21, 22 to one another. The wells 19, 29 are provided with floats 25, 26, respectively, adapted to rise and fall with any change of level of the liquid in said wells The floats 25,26 are provided with stems 27 having at their upper. ends cross-heads 28-which are connected to one another by a b 'anched'cable 29. The cable 29 is rove around pulleys 30 mounted on the wells 19, 20. The cable 29 is connected by any suitable means to the stick 3 so as to operate said stick and the connection at present preferredis constructed as follows:

The cable 29 may be constructed partly of wire and partly ofchain, or other flexible material, the chain being indicated at 31in Fig. 5. The chain 30 is rove around a sheave 32 rotatively mounted on the stick 3. Means are provided'to lock the sheave 32 a'gainStturning and in the instance shown in the drawings said sheave is provided with notches 33 adapted to be engaged by a detent-34'forn'ied'by the lower'end of a rod 35 which is-adapted to be pulled upward to re lease the sheave 32 by a handle in the form of a lever'36 that is pivoted at 37 to the stick 3. On the rod 35 is a spring 38 adapted to normally hold the rod 35 downward so as to clutch the sheave 32. It is clear that when the detent 34is disengaged from the sheave the cable 29 is free to turn said sheave, and that when the detent 35% engages said'sh'eave it' will prevent relative move- '1nent"b'etiveen"the cable 29 and stick 3 so' thatmovement'of the cable 29 will be transmitted to the stick 3 and thence to the connections 7', 7 It is thus clear that the elevator 8 is releasably connected with the I stick 3.

'One way toconnect the cable 13 to the stick 3 will now be described and corresponds is rove around a sheave 46 rotativelymounted on the stick 3. hieans are provided to prevent rotation of the sheaves d6 when desirable and in the instance shown in the drawings't-he sheave 4:6 is provided with notches d7 adapted-to be engaged by a detent 43 formed by the lower end of a rod 49 which connects with the .rod 35 so that operation of the rod 35 will cause corresponding operation of the rod 49; Thus when the handle 36 is operated to release the sheave 4:6 the cable 43 is free to rotate the sheave 46 so that the cable will not transmit movement from the floatsto the stick 3. hen the detent 48 engages the sheave it prevents rotation thereof so that movement of the cable 1-3 will be transmitted to the stick 3 so as to swing the stick laterally and thereby operate the connections 9, 19. It is clear that the ailerons 11,12 are thus releasably connected with the stick 3.

Fromflthe foregoing it isfclear that the cable 29, when the detent 3 11 engages the sheave 32, operates the stick 3 in the same direction as said stick would be operated manually. to cause'appropriate adjustment of the elevator 8; and it'is also clear that movement of the cable 43, when the detent e18 engages the sheavei6, causes the same movement of the stick 3 as would occur when said stick isioperated manually to adjust the ailerons 11, 12.

the automatic stabilizing features to contrel the air-crattin placeio't hand control, t

pilot will release the handle 36 so as to hold the sheaves32, 4-6 stationary relative to the stick 3. It maybe assumed for purposes of clearly describing the operation, that the operator before he releases the stick 3 had brought the air-craft to a horizontal flying position or on even keel/ Now assuming th'at'owingto some cause or other, for instanceavariation in wind pressure on the air-craft,the' nose of the, air-craft should point' downward, the liquidin the well 19 will rise therein so as to cause a pull on the cable 29 thus pullingthe lower end of the stick 3 forward so as to pullon the connecti on 7'.' This, it'is'clear, raises the elevator Swhichimmediatelylbrings the air-craft to an even'keel. As the air-craft is brought to an even keel, the float 25 naturally lowers andthefiojat26 rises'so as towcause a pull on'the connection 7 to again bri'ngthe elevator 8 backtothe horizontal flying position. It is clear that if the nose of the machine is caused to point upward by a change ofa-ir currents the fio at26 will rise so as to cause lowering of the elevator 8 which will depress the nose of the air-craft until said air-craft is again on an even keel.

Lateral stabilization is effected somewhat in the same manner for, if the starboard side of the craft should rise above the level of the port side, the float 39 will be caused to rise so as to pull the cable at?) in a direction to move the upper end of: the stick 3 to the right in Fig. eland this would cause a pull on the connection 10 so as to depress the port aileron 12 and raise the starboard aileron 11, thereby causing the port side to rise with reference to the starboard side. During the rising movement of the port wing, the float 40 will function to pull the cable l3 in a direction to move the stick 3 back toward its original position so as to cause a pull on the connection 9 to depress the starboard aileron 11 and raise the port aileron 12.

From the foregoing, it is clear that even the very slightest inclinations, both longitudinally and laterally, of the air-craft relative to the horizontal flying plane, will be automatically corrected so as to bring the air-craft on an even keel without the pilot giving his attention to the controls as regards the ailerons and elevator.

The floats 25, 26, 39 and 40 may be pneumatic so as to be very light. It is clear that when the water level changes in the wells 19,

20, 21 and 22, the air above the liquid is properly distributed through the pipes 23, so as not to interfere in any way with the rise and tall of the liquid level in the wells.

In its broader aspects, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the specific connections described and shown in the drawings for operating the elevator and the ailerons by upward. movement of the floats 25, 26 in the one case, and the floats 39, ll) in the other case, for such construction is merely typical and has been shown and described in detail in order to make clear the operation of the invention.

It is noted that the notches 33 may be arranged at definite degrees of circular measurement apart so that the craft can be caused to ascend or descend in a straight path at any desired angle relative to a horizontal plane. For instance, it the pilot wishes to descend at an angle of 55 in a straight path he will disengage the detent 34 from the sheave 32 and push forward on the stick 3 until the craft is descending at an angle of 5 and he will then cause the detent to engage the corresponding notch It is clear that, since change of inclination of the craft from 55 will operate the cable 29 as above explained, the craft will be returned to its descending inclination of 5 if it should be deflected out of its course by unequal air currents or other causes.

The notches l? may be arranged likewise at definite degrees of circular measurement apart so that the craft can be caused to pursue a spiral course without manual control for, after the angle of banking has been once established, the detent 48 may be engaged with the notch 47 corresponding with said angle so that it the craft should be deflected out of the predetermined spiral course by any cause the change of inclination will immediately operate to return the craft to said spiral course.

From the foregoing it is clear that the aeroplane can be brought gently to a safe landing in case of necessity without manual control being exercised by the air pilot, and this is especially valuable in case the pilot becomes disabled and cannot control the aeroplane.

I claim:

1. In an air-craft having a control lever and having ailerons and an elevator operatively connected with the lever, the combination with said lever of sheaves rotatively mounted on said lever, cables rove around said shea es, releasable means selectively engaging the sheaves to hold the sheaves against turning relative to the lever, and means operative by tipping oi the craft relative to its horizontal flying plane to exert a pull on the cables.

In a craft having a control lever and having a stabilizing surface operatively connected with the lever, the combination with said lever of a sheave rotatively mounted on said lever, cables rove around said sheave, the sheave having notches arranged at definite degrees of circular measurement from one another, a detent to selectively engage the notches, and means operative by tipping of the craft relative to its flying plane to exert a pull on the cables.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 15th day of May, 1918.

ARLYN T. VANCE. lVitnesses GEORGE H. HiLns, F. J ABBOTT, Jr. 

